A large number of different container structures are utilized by manufacturers to ship a variety of different products to end users, which may be, for example, assembly plants. In the automobile industry for example, an assembly plant assembling a particular automobile might utilize a number of different parts from different manufacturers. These manufacturers ship their respective parts to the assembly plant in container structures where the parts are then removed from dunnage inside the container structure and assembled into a finished automobile.
Access to the product in the containers is of particular concern. Specifically, in the automotive industry, the containers full of product are positioned on an assembly line adjacent to a work area which is associated with a particular product to be installed on a manufactured vehicle. For example, a container full of interior door panels is usually positioned next to a particular station on an assembly line where interior door panels are installed so that a line worker may easily access the door panels inside the container. The product or part is taken directly from the container and used on the line. Some existing containers are difficult to access which makes removal of the parts therein difficult and time consuming. As may be appreciated, a line worker only has a certain amount of time to install a part. Any delay in access and removal of the part from the container is undesirable.
For easy access, containers may be designed to be entered from the side, as opposed to the top, so that a user or line worker may remove parts horizontally rather than vertically. Horizontal removal of parts may be easier for an assembly line worker than vertical removal of parts, especially if the process is repeated many times. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,230,916; 6,062,410 and 6,540,096, all owned by the assignee and fully incorporated herein, disclose reusable horizontal dispensing containers having integral dunnage. The repetitive motion of accessing parts to install on a finished product such as an automobile should not be difficult or straining to a line worker since it must be done many times during a shift.
In many containers, a line worker or employee inserts or removes parts from a lower or bottom part of the container. This movement by the line worker is known in the industry as “pearl diving” because the line worker must lean forward and bend down into the container to insert or remove a part or work piece from the bottom of the container. This movement is necessary with most top loading containers.
Depending upon the number of times the line worker repeats this motion of “pearl diving” into the interior of the container, strain in the back, legs and arms may result. The size and/or weight of the parts or work pieces may increase the strain on the line worker. Thus, “pearl diving” may cause physical trauma, pain and other injuries that may lead to lost production time.
Several devices have been developed for use in containers in order to reduce the frequency of “pear diving” by an employee. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,360 discloses a spring-loaded tube assembly which raises the parts located on a platform inside a container to a location in which the worker need not “pearl dive” to insert or remove parts from the container.
Related U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,626,206; 6,035,973 and 6,044,932 disclose devices for ergonomically removing parts from a container which uses constant rate coil springs to raise a platform on which the parts reside. The coil springs have spring constants chosen to correspond to the weight of the parts inside the container. One drawback of these ergonomic devices is that a platform must be used in the containers. Another drawback of these ergonomic devices is that with repeated use over time, the coil springs may wear out and fail to function properly.
Accordingly, there is a need for a collapsible and expandable dunnage system for use in a horizontal dispensing container which prevents employees from “pearl diving”.
There is further a need for a collapsible and expandable dunnage system for use in a horizontal dispensing container which may designed for a particular application.
There is further a need for a collapsible and expandable dunnage system for use in a horizontal dispensing container to bring product into an ergonomically friendly area or zone.